Straw-stacker



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. M. SMITH. STRAW STAGKER.

@dw m 0. fm WM .M En@ i V/ESSS (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. M. SMITH.

STRAW STAGKER.

No. 446,955. Patented Feb. 24,1891.

Zw. J: H.

lll ZI F' icy,

ma News persas cn vnnr'rumo msm mon u c WJWVESSES UNITED STATES TENT EEICE.

JOSHUA M. SMITILOF SPRINGFIELD, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T O CHARLES F. YVOLF, OF MOOREFIELD, OHIO.r

STRAW-STC KER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,955, dated February 24, 1891.

Application filed March 18, 1890. Serial No. 344,439. (No model.)

To all whomit may concern: Fig. 9 a transverse section of thcdouble-faced Be it known that I, JOSHUA M. SMITH, a citiclutch. zen of the United States, residing at Spring- The letter A designates a stoutrectangular iield, in the county of Clark and State of fram e, suitably braced and mounted on wheels 5 Ohio, have invented certain new and useful in the usual or any convenient manner. 55 Improvements in Strai r-Stackers, of which the Transverse sleepers B, fastened to this frame, following is a specification, reference being vcarry an annular track O. A master-wheel `had therein to the accompanying drawings. D, provided with center bearings E, is This invention relates to certain new and mounted to revolve above this track, and is ro useful improvements in straw stackers. steadied thereon by rollers F, carried by the 6o These improvements have reference to a rebrackets G, secured to the said'master-wheel ceiving-hopper having a traveling bottom to and bearing on thel said annular track O. deliver the straw into the carrier; have ref- This master-wheel is adapted to be swung erence to an adjustable swinging mechanism, from side to side, as hereinafter described; but t 5 whereby the master-wheel and themechanism I will first describe the mechanism carried 65 carried thereby is automatically swung from by the said wheel. side to side, or the swinging mechanism is dis- Standards H, fastened in the sockets I, atengaged from the master-wheel, "so that the 'cached to the master-wheel, carry the hopper master-wheel may be swung by hand or may and the carrier frame. The hopper-frame is 2o be locked in any desired position; have refcomposed of side pieces J, conveniently se- 7o erence to an arrangementfor driving the belts cured to said standards and having near the forming the bottom of the carrier, the hopper, ends shafts K K', carrying drums L, on which and an extension attachment to the carrier; are mounted belts M, connected together by have reference to an extension attachment to the slats O. The shaft K preferably has a 25 the carrier, by means of which the straw is sprocket-wheel mounted thereon, by which 75 delivered in substantially a vertical line as motion is given to the belts and slats forming the stack is built up, and have reference to the traveling bottom of the said hopper, by other details of construction hereinafter more means to be hereinafter described. The side fully brought out in the specification and the pieces P of the hopper are connected by an 3o claims. end piece Q, having a portion of the bottom 8o In the accompanying drawings, forming a edge cut away, as shown at R in Fig. 3, to part of this specification,and on which like refform a slot through which the belts and slats erence letters and figuresindicate correspondtravel, and thus carry the straw that is suping parts, Figure l represents a side view of plied to the hopper forward into the carrier 3 5 my improved stacker, having portions broken proper. These side pieces are removable, as S 5 away to show the swinging` mechanism. Fig. indicated, by the stakes fitting into the brack- 2 is a plan view of the same with the hopper ets on the side pieces J. By this arrangement removed and portions of the carrier-bottom of the traveling bottom there is no danger 0f broken away. Fig. 3 is an end View of the the straw collecting in the hopper, as it is fed 4o machine showing the driving mechanism. forward as fast as it is received and delivered 9o Fig. 4 is a plan View of the hopper. Fig. 5 is over the edge of the hopper upon the carrier a section on the line y y of Fig. 2, showing proper, which will now be described. the swinging mechanism and aportion of the The carrier proper consists of side pieces master-wheel and annular track. Fig. 6 is a S, preferably formed in sections and hinged 45 section on the line e ,e of Fig. 5, showing a at T, so that it may be doubled up and rest 95 pivoted standard and the method of adjustupon itself. thereby taking up less space in ing it to and fromthe master-wheel, indicated transportation and housing. The hinge may in dotted lines. Fig. 7 is a sectional view on have projections or lugs, as shown at T', the line :c c: of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a side view of through which a pin is inserted in order to i. 5o the elevating devices ofthe carrier-frame, and. render the carrier-frame stiff and rigid. Near roo' the ends of the side pieces S are mounted shafts U andU, carrying drums V, on which are mounted belts lV, connected by slats X in a similar manner to the traveling bottom of the hopper, afore described. The shaft U passes through bearings carried by the standards Il, and the whole carrier turns on this shaft as on a pivot, and is elevated by means of the hoisting mechanism now to be described. This hoisting or elevating mechanism consists of a shaft Y, carried by the brackets Z, secured to the master-wheel, as shown in Fig. 2, and having on the ends thereof drums a, on which are mounted ropes ZJ, which extend over the pulleys c and down to the pins d, fastened in the carrier-frame. The pulleys c are mounted on a shaft e, which is carried by an inclined standard f on each side, fitting into a socket or otherwise secured to the master-wheel at one end and stayed in its inclined position by the rod g, that connects it to the said standards ll, that carry the hopper and carrier-frame. This standard fis inclined,as shown in Fig. l, in order that it may not interfere with supplying the hopper with straw over the sides thereof, as it would if it were placed near the said sides; also because of the elevated position of the rope run ning over the pulleys c a greater purchase is secured upon the carrier-frame when it is desired to elevate it as the stack increases in height. The rope is wound upon said drums a by means of a spur-wheel 71., mounted on the said shaft Y and driven by means of a worm carried by a crankshaft i, revolving in the brackets j, fastened to the said masterwheel. By revolving this crank-shaft 11.'v the worm and spur cause the shaft Y, having the drums mounted thereon, to turn and wind up the rope b and exert an elevating action by means of the ropes l1 from their elevated position over the pulleys c. Because of the above-described arrangement of the elevat` ing mechanism the carrier -frame is easily raised from any position, and yet the hoist ing, mechanism in no way interferes with sup plying the hopper over the sides thereof.

I will now describe the extension attachment to the carrier. This attachment consists of sides k, having shafts Zand l', mounted in bearings near the ends thereof and having drums, belts, and slats carried thereby similarly to the hopper bottom, afore described. One shaft l extends through brackets m, pref' erably secured to the outer end of the carrierframe, and has a sprocket-wheel o, mounted on one end of said shaft, by means of which motion is transmitted to the drnlns and belts carried thereby. The shaft U in the outer end of the carrier-frame has a sprocket on its outer end, and by means of a sprocket-chain connecting with said sprocket on the shaft Z gives motion to the belts in the extensible attachment, causing them to move in the same direction as those in the carrier-frame. In the place of sprocket-wheels I may use pulleys or intel-gears between the two shafts.

The attachment is thus pivoted about its shaft I, so that any movement about the axis of said shaft as a center will not vary the dis tance between the shafts U and l. This movement is preferably effected automatically by means of ropes j), each attached at one end to the arms q, securely fastened to said attachment by screws or otherwise, as shown in Fig. l, and at the other end to a staple s, at a point eccentric to the pivotal shaft L', or to other fixed portion of the mechanism carried by the said master-wheel. These ropes preferably extend over the drums o', mounted on the sides of the said carrier-frame, and their action on the said attachment so as to automatically extend it will now be described. If the said ropes were secured to the shaft U itself, the angle of the attachment to the carrier-frame would be the same whatever its elevated position, because the shaft U is the pivot or axis about which the carrier-frame and its attachment would then unchangeably revolve, and in that case the attachment would assume the position along the line t indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l. Because, however, of this eccentrically-fastened arrangement of the ropes and the arms of the extension attachment the ropes will act on the arms to elevate the outerend of the attachment automatically as the carrier-frame is raised by means of its hoisting mechanism, and by elevating the outer end of the said attachment it is extended so as to compensate for the receding action of the carrier-frame as it rises in the arc u about the shaft U as a center. Thus, the horizontal distance c from its end in an elevated position to the perpendicular through its end when in a lowered position is compensated for by the extensible attachment, which isindicatcd by dotted lines in an elevated position at t', its delivery end being substantially over and in the same vertical plane that it occupies when in its lowered position. In other words, the outer end of the carrier-frame rises in the arc u, while the outer end of the extensible attachment rises in the perpendicular plane u', and this it does automatically by means-of the ropes attached to the staples s and arms q and passing over the rollers i'. This extension may be effected by hand instead of automatically, if so desired. By this peculiar and important arrangement the straw is delivered in the same vertical plane instead of being delivered nearer and nearer to the stacker as the carrier-frame rises, as would be the result if no such extensible attachment were provided. The stack is thus built up perpendicularly when the stacker is used as a stationary stacker, and is built up in the same vertical plane when the stacker is used in its swing ing form.

The mechanism for swinging the masterwheel and its supported mechanism will now be described. Attached to or formed integrally with the said master-wheel is a rack- IOO IIO

plate '2, extending around conveniently onehalf of its circumference similar to a spurgear. Engaging with the teeth of said rackplate is a worm 3, mounted on a shaft 4, which is carried by the pivoted standards 5 and in the upper ends of the same, and has sprocketwheels 6 and 7, loosely mounted on the said shaft. A double-faced clutch 8 is slidingly mounted on the said shaft, but is connected therewith by a spline or feather-key 9, as shown in Fig. 9, so as to revolve with the shaft and yet slide on it and engage by means of its double faces with the corresponding clutch devices formed on the insides of the said sprocket-wheels 6 and 7 when actuated by the tripping mechanism, and thus cause the shaft to revolve in the same way with the clutched wheel. This sliding motion on the shaft is caused by engaging the yoke-lever 10, which tits about said clutch 8 in an annular groove therein, and is pivoted in a bracket 11, secured to a cross-piece 12 on the said stackerframe. A connecting-rod 13 connects said yoke with the tripping mechanism consisting of a slotted crank 14, mounted on a shaft 15, carried by the bracket 16, secured to a crosspiece 17 on the said frame. A weighted arm 1S, attached to one end of said shaft 15, assists in preserving the engagement of the clutch 8 with either of the sprocket-wheels G or 7, according to its adjusted position to one side or the other of the shaft 15, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 5. On the other end of the shaft 15 is mounted a preferably curved arm 19, which occupies a position near the edge of said master-wheel, so as to be engaged by the strikers 20 and 21, which are removably secured to the master-wheel by means of bolts or otherwise, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. will act on the curved arm 19 and throw it into its dotted position, as shown in Fig; 5,

thereby turning the shaft 15, to which the slotted arm 14 is attached, and also a weighted arm 13, whereby the connecting-rod 13 will ac t on the pivoted yoke 10 to cause the doublefaced clutch S to lose its engagement with the sprocket 6 and engage with the sprocket 7, and cause said shaft to revolve in the directio'n of the said latter sprocket-wheel by means now .to be described. The use of the slot in the slotted arm is to enable the lweighted arm 13 to move farther than the clutch 8, and it allows the weight to act more effectively thereon. The sprocket 7 is connected by a sprocket-chain to a sprocket 22, mounted on a shaft 23, carried by brackets 24, secured to the stacker-frame. Motion is given to this shaft by means hereinafter to be described, and forms the driving mechanism for the said sprocket-wheels. A spurwheel 25 is also carried by said shaft- 23 and gears with another spur-wheel 26, mounted on a shaft 27, carried by the brackets 2S, secured to a cross-piece on said stacker-frame. A sprocket-wheel 29 is also carried by the shaft 27, and is connected by a sprocket-chain with For instance, the striker 20- the sprocket-wheel 6 on the said shaft 4. By

means of these spur-wheels 25 and 26 the motion of the sprocket-wheel 6 is reversed to that of the wheel 7, so that by engaging with one or the other of these sprocket-wheels 6 or 7 the shaft 4 is caused to revolve in one or the other direction, and thus the master-wheel is swung to one side or the other by means of said worm 3 engaging therewith.

I will now describe how the said shaft 23 is driven. on said shaft in a similar` manner to the double-faced clutch S, so that it can slide axially on the shaft, but must revolve in the same direction as the shaft. On the outer end of lthe shaft 23 is preferably mounted a sprocket-wheel 31, having a clutch-face that matches with the clutch 30. llhis sprocket revolves loosely on the shaft unless engaged by the clutch, which engagement is conveniently produced by means of a lever 32, pivoted on a bracket secured to said stackerfraine and engaging at one end with the clutch 30 to canse it to slide longitudinally on the shaft. Thus when the clutch and sprocket 30 and 31 are in engagement the shaft 23 revolves. and the sprockets 6 and 7 are driven in the opposite direction, one of them (either 6 or 7) being engaged by the double-faced clutch 8 to swing the masterwheel and its superincumbent mechanism. `When sprocket-wheel 31 is not engaged by the clutch '30, it revolves loosely on the shaft 23 without turning it, and the swinging mechanism will remain inoperative. It may be desired, however, to swing the stacker by hand, and on this account the swinging mechanism is made adjustable to and from the master-wheel, as will now be described. The pivoted standards 5, before referred to as carrying the shaft 4, are secured at their lower ends in the brackets 33 on the stackerframe and braced in their substantially perpendicular position by means of links 34, which are pivotedat one end to the standard by the pin 35 and at the other end to a crank 36, carried by a shaft 37, mounted in the brackets 38, secured to a cross-piece on the stacker-frame. A crank-arm 39 is preferably secured at one end of said shaft 37, by means of which the shaft is turned into the dotted position shown in Fig. G,whereby the standards 5 cause the worm 3 to be drawn out of engagement -with the annular rack on the said master-wheel. The master-wheel maynowbe swung by hand or left in any desired position. lf it is desired to lock it in any position, the worm 3 is thrown into engagement with the toothed master-wheel, and the carrier will discharge in one position. Thus it will be observed that the swinging mechanism can be made to swing the carrier-frame automatically; or by the sim ple action of the lever 32 the whole swinging mechanism maybe disengaged from -the driving-sprocket 31, and the master-wheel will remain at rest. The

worm 3 may be thrown out of engagement A clutch 30 is slidingly mounted IOO with the master-wheel by rcvol vin g the crankshaft 37, so that the stacker may be swung by hand; or the master-wheel may bc locked in any desired position by throwing the worm into engagement therewith, while the clutch 30 is out of engagement with its drivingsprocket 31.

rlhe means for driving the latter sprocket willnow be described. A shaft IO is mounted in brackets il, conveniently secured to said master-wheel and stacker-f ram e, respectively, and carries a sprocket-wheel 42, which gives motion by a sprocket-chain to the drivingsprocket 3l of the swinging mechanism. A fast and a loose pulley are preferably mounted on the outer end of the said shaft 40, and are belted to the thrashing-mashine with which the stacker is used, or to any other convenient source of power, whereby motion is given to the driving-shaft t0. Near the end of this shaft is mounted a bevel-pinion i3, engaging with a bevel-gear It, mounted on an upright shaft 45, passing through the said center bearings E and forming the king-bolt for the same, and supported at its lower end in a step 4U, secured to the stacker-frame. By this means the shaft 45 is caused to revolve, and by a bevel-gear 4.7, mounted near the upper end of the said shaft, it transmits its motion through a bevel-pinion 4S to a horizontal shaft i0, turning in the brackets 50, secured to said master-wheel. A sprocket-wheel 5l is preferably mounted on the outer end 'of the said shaft 4E) and drives a sproket-chain 52, which passes over the sprocket-wheels 513 and 54, preferably mounted on the shafts U and l, respectively, whereby motion is given to the belts and slats forming the traveling bottom of the hopper and the carrier, respectively.

The manner by which the belts are driven in the extension attachment has already been described, and thus it will be seen that by this system of sprocket wheels, chains, and connecting-belts the whole carrier mechanism is driven inthe same direction, also that noadjustnn-ut of the carrier-frameaffects the uniform action of the carrier sprocket-chains, or the sprocket-wheels giving motion thereto. It will also be observed that the swinging mechanism may be thrown out of action without affecting the action of the carrier, so that it may be used as a stationary carrier or a swinging carrier, and may he locked in any adjusted position.

For the purpose of keeping the straw upon the carrier, especially when in an elevated position, removable stakes, preferably having canvas secured thereto, carried in brackets in the carrier-frame and the extension attachment are provided. These sides may be taken oit when it is desired to fold up the carrier-frame, and yet they can be quickly adjusted when desired for use.

It will be observed that the belted and geared connections of the swinging mechanism and driving mechanism of the stacker are speeded down, causing a slower action of the driven parts, and therefore requiring less power to do the driving. rlhis causes the mechanism to run smoothly and easily with a small expenditure of power.

l-Iaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a toothed masterwheel in a straw-stacker, of swinging meehanism consisting of a shaft adjustably mounted near said master-wheel, means to adjustit to and from the same, aworm carried by said vshaft and adapted to engage said wheel,

sprockets loosely and revolubly mounted on said shaft and having clutch-teeth on their opposing faces, a double-face clutch slidingly mounted on said shaft so as to revolve therewith, situated between the said sprocketwheels and adapted to engage with each alternately, and means to effect said alternate engagement, a d riving-shaft, and intermediate mechanism between it and said sprocketwheels adapted to revolve 011e of them in one direction and the other in theopposte direction.

2. In the swinging mechanism of a strawstacker, the combination, with a master-wheel and standards pivoted at their lower ends so that their upper ends may be moved to and from the master-wheel, means to cause said movement, a shaft mounted in said upper ends,and a worm mounted on said shaft and adapted to engage said master-wheel, of a pair of sprocket-wheels loosely mounted on said shaft and adapted to turn in opposite directions, a clutch to engage said sprocketwheels alternately, driving means to actuate said wheels, and tripping mechanism to cause said engagement of the clutch and sprocketwheels.

In a straw-stacker,the combination, with a toothed master-wheel, of pivoted adjustable standards, driving mechanism carried by said standards, a erankshaft adjacent to said standards, and links for connecting said standards to the said crank-shaft to effect said adjustment.

i. In a straw-stacker, the combination, with the carrier-frame proper, of an extension attachment consisting, essentially, of a section of the said frame proper, a carrier for said frame proper, and a carrier for the said extension attachment, intergeared one with the other, and an adjustable connection having a fixed length extending from said attachment to a relatively fixed part of the machine at a point eccentric to the foot of the carrier-frame proper, adapted to simultaneously and automatically operate said attachment, whereby the straw may be delivered from the end of said attachment in a substantially vertical plane whatever the elevation of the carriert'rame proper.

5. In a straw-staeker, the combination, with a carrier-frame proper, of an extension attachment pivoted near the outer end of said carrier-frame and consisting, essentially, of a IOO IIO

section of the carlionframe, an arm secured to the inner end ot said attachment, and a rope ot' a fixed length fastened to said arm and to a stationary part at a point eccentric to the pivot of the carrier Aframe proper7 whereby the said attachment may be automatically extended when the carrier-frame is elevated.

G. In a straw-stacker, the combination, with a. master-wheel, an intergearing Worm and its shaft, .loose sprocket-Wheels having opposing clutch -faces and a double-faced sliding clutch on the said shaft, a pivoted yoke, a rock-shaft havin gaweight and an operating-arm adapted to be engaged by a projection on the masterwheel, and a rod connecting the pivoted yoke to the shaft through a slidingconnection, whereby the Weight in moving from one posiism consisting` of a shaft adjustable at both ends to 'and from the said master-wheel, pivoted brackets for said shaft to so adjust it, a

Worm on said shaft adapted to mesh Wit-h said master-wheel, driving mechanism therefor,

and a clutch to connect and disconnect said worm and its driving mechanism.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOSHUA M. SMITH.

Iitnessesz H. E. SMITH, WARREN HULL. 

